1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for performing recording on both sides of a recording medium.
2. Related Background Art
Various types of recording apparatuses have been proposed and put into practical use. For example, there are impact type, laser beam type, thermal transfer type, and ink-jet type recording apparatuses.
The ink-jet recording system, in which recording is performed by ejecting ink droplets onto a recording medium, is advantageous in that it allows high-speed recording, provides high recording quality, and performs recording with a low noise level. Further, this system makes it possible to easily perform color image recording and to record on ordinary paper. Furthermore, it easily allows a reduction in apparatus size.
Generally speaking, a recording apparatus using this ink-jet recording system is equipped with a recording head having ejection outlets for ejecting ink as flying ink droplets, ink flow passages communicating with the ejection outlets, and energy generating means provided in a part of the ink flow passages and adapted to impart ejection energy to the ink in the ink flow passages.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 61-59911, 61-59912, 61-59913, and 61-59914 disclose methods in which an electrothermal converting member is used as the energy generating means and in which heat energy generated by applying an electric pulse thereto is caused to act on ink to thereby eject the ink.
In the recording system disclosed in the above-mentioned publications, heat energy acts on ink to generate a bubble in the ink, and, by an acting force due to a rapid expansion of this bubble, ink is ejected from the ejection outlets at the forward end of the recording head portion, the ejected ink droplets adhering to a recording medium to thereby perform image recording. In this system, it is possible to arrange ejection outlets in the recording head in high density, so that it is possible to record a high-resolution, high-quality image at high speed, and the system is applicable as information output means in a copying machine, printer, facsimile apparatus, etc.
As examples of a recording apparatus capable of automatically performing recording on the back side or both sides of a recording medium, there are available, for example, a system as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-327950, in which a recording medium is reversed, and a system as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-76713, in which a recording head is arranged on either side of a recording medium.
However, in the system in which the recording medium is reversed, the mechanism for reversing the recording medium might be complicated, and the reversing of the recording medium takes a long time, resulting in an increase in recording time. On the other hand, the system in which a recording head is arranged on either side of the recording medium involves an increase in the number of parts, resulting in an increase in production cost.
It is an object of the present invention to provide at low cost a recording apparatus capable of performing image recording on the back side or both sides of a recording medium automatically and at high speed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus including conveying means for conveying a recording medium, a recording rotary unit in which a recording means for recording an image on the recording medium and a recording medium holding means for supporting the recording medium with respect to the recording means are opposed to each other, and rotating means for rotating the recording rotary unit.